US President Joe Biden said he and First Lady Jill Biden were heartbroken about the attack at the US Capitol Friday that left one police officer dead and another wounded.
“Jill and I were heartbroken to learn of the violent attack at a security checkpoint on the US Capitol grounds, which killed Officer William Evans of the US Capitol Police, and left a fellow officer fighting for his life,” Biden said in a statement.
“We send our heartfelt condolences to Officer Evans’ family, and everyone grieving his loss.”
A US Capitol Police officer, who died Friday after a man rammed his car into him and another officer at a barricade, was identified as an 18-year veteran of the force.
William Billy Evans joined the department in 2003 and was a member of its first responders unit. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi hailed Evans as a martyr for our democracy, while Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said he was heartbroken.
The death is the latest moment of sorrow for a department after the loss of Brian Sicknick, who clashed with rioters during the Jan. 6 insurrection and died a day later, and Howard Liebengood, who committed suicide weeks after that.
Video shows the driver of the crashed car emerging with a knife in his hand and starting to run at the pair of officers, Capitol Police acting Chief Yogananda Pittman told reporters. Authorities shot the suspect, identified by law enforcement officials as 25-year-old Noah Green.